The 48th Annual Hunger Games
by Matmos
Summary: Its the year of the 48th Hunger Games. 18 year old Serenity Fallows finds herself in the games with nothing but a fear of death pushing her to survive. Will she manage to survive or will her name be added to the long list of fallen tributes? Rated T for bad language and violence and death in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_I dreamed a dream in time gone by  
When hope was high  
And life worth living  
I dreamed that love would never die  
I dreamed that God would be forgiving  
Then I was young and unafraid  
And dreams were made and used and wasted  
There was no ransom to be paid  
No song unsung, no wine untasted_

"Beautiful." I stop singing and tense up and turn to see Art making his way over. Heat rushes to my cheeks as he takes a seat beside me on the porch.

"H-how long were you listening?" I ask as my shyness gets the better of me and me feet suddenly become interesting.

"Since you started" he replies and my heart begins to hammer in my chest. "Done be so shy" Art says as he picks up on my feelings. "There is no need to be shy when you have a voice is beautiful as yours is." I slowly lift my head and stare at Art. His blonde hair is reflecting the moonlight and his emerald eyes, shimmering.

"Y-ou really think I'm good?" I ask and he nods his head.

"The best singer I have ever heard" he says and once again my feet become the most interesting thing in the world. I get like this every time I am around Art. I have been in love with him since forever, but he only sees me as a sister. I have known Art since we both moved into the community home. We had to stick together because we were the 'newbies'. After a week we were inseparable. It was that moment I knew that this was the boy I wanted to marry someday.

But that dream is exactly that, just a dream. He got engaged to Stella, a middle class girl, last week. It broke my heart when I heard, but I put on a happy face...for him. I feel his arm snake its way around my shoulder as he pulls me closer. I rest my head on his shoulder and he lays us back so we are staring up at the stars. We use to do this all the time when we were younger. We would make shapes from the stars and give them names.

"I miss this" he says. I nod my head because right this moment, words wont form. "Tomorrows the reaping" he says and my heart stops. He is right, tomorrow is the reaping. I completely forgot. "How many slips do you have?" he asks.

"Forty-one" I reply with a shaky breath. For a second he tenses up next to me, but soon takes a deep breath.

"That is nothing compared to my fifty-three" he says with a laugh, but I can hear the fear behind the laugh.

"We have lasted this long. Whats one more year? After this we will be free anyway" I say. Art and I are both 18 and when you turn 19 you are free from the reaping. I would get a job in town or in the fields and get a house and I will live out my life. Maybe I will settle down and even have kids...no...there wont be kids. I wont wait around, waiting for them to be reaped. I wont go through that.

"Well, come on" Art says as he pulls me up to my feet. "We both need to look our best for tomorrow." He brushes my head behind my ear and I blush once more. He links our fingers and leads me back inside. At my bedroom he kisses me on my cheek and leaves. When I get into bed I fall asleep almost instantly.

* * *

The sounds of chattering rouses me from my sleep. I open my eyes and see the other girls talking among themselves while getting dressed. "Morning ReRe" my good friend Allison says as she jumps on my bed. I groan as I sit up and smile at her.

"Good morning" I say. "Somebody is sounding chipper."

"Well duh. After today, I wont have to worry about getting reaped. After today, my life begins" she says as she sits up and ties her dark hair into a ponytail.

"Very true" I tell her and slide out of bed. "Help me get ready?" I ask and she nods. The next hour we spend getting dressed and gossiping. I am not usually the talkative type, but Allison brings it out in me. With her its either talk or she ignores you. While she plays with my hair I look around at some of the younger girls. They are looking terrified and some even look like they are about to collapse.

The girl who catches my eye is little 13 year old Anistar. She not long came to the community home, about a month ago. Her parents died in the fire that killed 20 others. She has kept to herself this whole time, crying most of the time. Like now, she has an old teddy bear in a tight grip and she is silently sobbing into the fabric. My heart aches for her. I was too young to remember much about my parents and I still cry for them some nights. She knew her parents and lost them.

Allison finishes with my hair so I thank her and make my way over to Anistar. "Hi" I greet as I take a seat next to her. She doesn't respond, she just tightens her grip on the bear. "I know how it feels" I tell her. "I know what its like to lose somebody" I add on as I not only think about my parents, but Art. I lost him to Stella. I lost the chance to tell him I love him.

She slowly turns her head and I catch a glimpse of her sapphire blue eyes under her dark, matted hair. Just the look of her makes me pull her into a hug. I hold her close as she begins to sob into my shoulder. "You dont have to worry anymore...I am here now" I tell her. Though I have never spoken to her before today, I feel the need to protect her.

* * *

The next hour flies by and soon I am making my way to the square with Allison and Anistar. Anistar wont talk to Allison, but she hasn't let go off my hand since we left. As we walk I cant keep my eyes off Art who is up ahead with his friends.

"You have it bad" Allison says as she nudges my arm. I blush and shove her back. She laughs and we keep walking. "Well, you need to tell him. Tonight will be the perfect time too. You will both be free of the reaping meaning you will be able to spend the rest of your lives together" she says and I cant help but smile at her enthusiasm on such a horrible day.

"You're forgetting one thing" I reply and she raises a questioning eyebrow. "Stella" I finish and she sighs.

"Who cares about that stuck up bitch? It is clear that Art loves you" Allison replies.

"Yes, as a sister."

"Oh come on" Allison says followed by an exasperated sigh. "No boy looks at their sister the way he looks at you. He loves you like a man should love a woman. I see it every time I catch him staring at you." Her little speech gives me a little shimmer of hope, that one day I will marry Art.

"Whatever, lets just get this over with" I tell her as we enter the square. After we get our fingers pricked, I kneel down to Anistar. "You be strong okay? You have nothing to worry about" I tel her. She sniffles before throwing her arms around my neck and holding onto me like her life depended on it. I hug her back and then we separate, Anistar heading into the 13 year olds section and Allison and I heading into the 18 year olds.

"Poor girl" I say as we stand in between some other girls from the home.

"I know. I just hope something horrible doesn't happen and she is reaped" Allison replies. I dont say anything else afterwards and soon the mayor takes to the stage. Mayor Humridge is a man on the bigger side. He is the only one who can afford to eat without worry of running out. He is bald and has a white beard growing.

"Hello district nine" he greets us. "As you know, we are gathered here today to draw two names for the annual hunger games. But before we do that, lets introduce a couple of people. First up is Malva Torch" Mayor Humridge says as he gestures to the door behind him that leads into the justice building. The dark wooden doors open and out comes Malva, the only female victor district nine has had.

She is in her late 40s, standing at maybe the same hight as me. She has light blonde hair and pale skin. She won the 17th games I believe. She walks center stage and bows before heading to her left and taking a seat.

"The next person is Peirce Moresli" Mayor Humridge says as he yet again, gestures to the doors behind him. This time a young man in his 20s comes out. He is our 3rd and latest victor. He won 10 years ago at just 15 years old, making him the youngest victor yet. He has black hair cut short and dark skin with dark brown eyes. Over the years he has become more and more handsome. He copies Malva and takes a seat next to her.

"Okay, this final person has come all the way from the Capitol" the mayor says with fake enthusiasm. "Welcome Gillian Fowtruth." The final person who comes out on stage is so out of place. Her bright pink dress hurts my eyes and her baby blue, poofy hair bounces on her head as she almost gallops to the microphone. She takes the mic of the mayor, who takes his seat, and beams at all of us.

"Welcome, welcome" she says as she smiles, showing of her pearly white teeth. "Welcome district nine to the reaping of the forty-eight annual hunger games." Haven't we already been through this? "Now, I wont drag things on. Lets start shall we?" she says as she skips her way over to the reaping bowl on her left.

I close my eyes and my hands automatically seeks Allison's. I pray that is isn't Anistar. She is too young to go into this. She wont last a second. It turns out my praying worked, because the name she calls out is not Anistar. No, its Stella's.

**A/N: Welcome, welcome. Welcome to the first chapter of my first fic. I have read a couple of these and felt like writing my own one. This is the first of a 3 part series which is based around my OC **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First off, I would like to thank those who gave their time to read the first chapter. And I would like to thank 'Nrrrd-Grrrl-Meg' for reviewing the story and adding it to their favorites. It means a lot.**

**I would really appreciate any reviews and any advice you have for me. Its my first story story so I can use all the help I can get. Once again thank you and I hope you enjoy this second chapter.**

* * *

A sob is heard up ahead of me just as Stella passes me by. Her face is pale and her eyes wide. For a second I am happy about this, but then I find Art in the crowd. Tears are streaming down his face and I can tell he is heartbroken.

I was right...Art does not love me. No, he loves Stella. Before I can stop myself, I am letting go of Allison's hand and walking to the isle between the girls and boys. "No" Allison says from behind me, but there is no stopping now. I cant see Art heartbroken. If he loves Stella then he deserves to have his life with her.

"I volunteer" I shout, trying to sound as confident as I can but failing. People gasp and turn to me. Stella stops in her tracks and turns to me, tears forming in both of our eyes.

"What?" Stella asks, just as Allison's cries reach my ears. I take a deep, shaky breath and begin walking forwards. I don't look at Stella as I pass her by. I climb the steps and take my place next to Gillian.

"Well, isn't this a surprise" Gillian says. "Now dear, what is your name?" she asks, holding the microphone to my lips.

"Serenity Fallows" I reply quietly, but the mic makes it echo around the entire square. I look towards Art and see him consoling a crying Stella. Why is she crying? I have just gave her a second chance. I should be the one crying. Art looks at me and we meet eyes.

That one look tells me everything. It tells me thank you and that he will always love me. But it tells me that we were never going to be anything more than family. I blink and I feel a tear roll down my cheek.

"Well then, lets move on to the male tribute" Gillian says as she makes her way over to the male bowl. "Vice Catore" Gillian announces and I see movement in the 12 year old section. No...not a 12 year old. I see Vice stumble out of the section and he falls flat on his face.

I get the urge to jump down and help him, but Peacekeepers beat me to him and they drag him up onto the stage. Vice climbs to his feet, wiping at his hazel eyes. His hair is dark brown and is cut short.

"Well then district twelve, here are your tributes" Gillian says then turns to Vice and I. "Shake hands." I take Vice's tiny hand in mine and gently shake. I want to say sorry, but I guess that will have to wait because Peacekeepers drag Vice and I into the justice building.

* * *

I try to steady my shaking hands, but they just wont stop. I think I regret volunteering to save Stella, but then I see Art's face in my mind and all doubt goes. I would rather know he is happy then knowing he is heartbroken.

I am currently sitting in a room in the justice building. It's not much, just an old couch and red wallpaper. On the far side is a window and on the other side is a wall with a picture of each victor after they won. 3 pictures are currently hanging on the wall. There is Malva and Pierce. As well as Rye, winner of the 9th. For a second I think about my picture joining them, but that soon goes away. There is no chance of me winning.

The door to the room opens and in comes Allison and Anistar. I stand up and they both run into my open arms. As soon as they do, I begin to cry. "Why?!" Allison cries. "Why did you save that bitch?"

"Art" I reply as I step back. "I saw the look on his face and knew that he loves Stella. I knew what I had to do. He doesn't love me and I would prefer him to be happy if it means me dying."

"Your an idiot" Allison shouts as she covers her face. "What about me?" she asks. "What will I do now? How will I cope without you?" She is screaming now. The only thing I can do is hold her. I don't know how to reply, because I wasn't thinking about her when I volunteered.

We fall silent for a couple of minutes and all 3 of us sit on the couch in each others arms. "Look after each other, okay?" I ask them.

"O-okay" Anistar replies, her voice soft and gentle.

"I will miss you so much ReRe" Allison says, using my nickname. "I will forever love you." I hug them both once more and then they are forced to leave. My legs give out underneath me and I fall to the floor and begin to sob loudly as I bury my face in my hands.

"Serenity you stupid girl" I tell myself over and over. I must miss the door opening, because I fell arms around me and I instantly know its Art. He pulls me into his arms and I just lay against him.

"Why?" Art asks. "Why did you..." he sobs a little and I look up to see tears falling freely from his eyes.

"F-for you" I reply. "You love her."

"But I love you too. Your my only family" he says.

"Well now you can start a new family with Stella" I reply as I sit back. We both move to the couch and sit holding each others hands. We both fall silent for what seems like forever. We just sit and stare at each other.

"I will miss you Serenity" he says, breaking the silence. "At least try."

"I will" I reply. I will try. I know that the odds are not in my favor, but that does by no means, I am going down easy. I will fight to come back.

"Your a strong girl. You are smart and I know you are fast" he says with a small sad chuckle.

"I guess" I reply, looking down at our linked hands. I want to tell him. I want him to know how I feel about him, how I have always felt. But the words wont form. They just wont come out.

The door opens and a Peacekeeper comes in. "Your time is up" he says in a gruff voice. I stand and begin to panic. Art hugs me and begins to leave.

"I love you" I mutter, but its too quiet. "Art...I love you" I shout just as the door closes. It was too late. I guess he will never know what he means to me. He will never know that I have loved him since the day we met. I just stand staring at the wooden door until Gillian comes to collect me. She leads Vice and I out of the justice building and into a black car.

I have never been in a car before, but I have seen them on television. The car takes us to the train station where people with insect-like cameras are waiting. Flashes fill my vision as all 3 of us step out and all the way to the train. I am happy for a split second when the doors slide shut behind us, but then I remember where the train is taking me and all happiness disappears. I guess I will never feel happiness again.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Welcome back readers. I see people are reading the first chapter but not many are going onto the second. I thank the 5 people who did read both. It means a lot to me. Here is the 3****rd**** chapter and it has a little action in. Please leave a review and tell me what you think or what I need to work on. Enjoy!**

* * *

I stare out of the window as the landscape flies by. The sky is blue dotted with fluffy white clouds. Usually I would be happy on a day like this. We would be aloud outside to bask in the sunlight. Allison and I would take walks down by the stream that runs through the outskirts of the district. We would talk about Art and any boy she likes. Normal girl talk.

But no happiness comes. Only dread and fear. This whole ordeal has made me feel trapped and the only escape is death. What's making all this even worse is Vice crying next to me. He has quietened down a little in the 10 minutes we have been on the train, but he still whimpers and moans at points. I wanna tell him it will all be okay, but then I would be lying. Truth is, and I may sound like a bitch saying this, he most likely wont survive the bloodbath. Not may 12 year olds do.

The doors on the end of the train car open up and in comes Malva and Peirce. They both take a seat in front of Vice and I. "Hello" Malva greets me and offers her hand. I take it in mine and shake.

"Hi" I reply, my throat feeling dry. Malva picks up on it and pours me a glass of water and hands it to me. I gulp down the water and wipe my mouth on my sleeve. "Thank you" I say.

"No problem dear. Now, I will be training you and Peirce will be taking on Vice" Malva says, giving me a look that tells me that Vice needs the most help.

"Okay" is all I reply with. Peirce gives me a nod and then leads Vice out of the car through the doors they came through.

"To start with, tell me about yourself" Malva says.

"Why?" I reply. "Why get to know me? I may as well be dead." I regret saying the words as soon as they leave me mouth. I don't wish for death. I wish to live.

"Just tell me about yourself" she replies calmly.

"Fine...My name is Serenity Fallows but my friends call me ReRe. I have lived in the community home since a very young age and I have no clue how I am going to survive this" I say, tears threatening to fall.

"A community home kid. I was one too" she says. This catches me off guard. I never knew she was. I have heard so many stories about her, but none that told me she was from the community home too. "And I managed to survive. I am going to do everything in my power to bring you home Serenity."

"Y-you will?" I ask and she nods her head. I smile but hide it by looking down at my shaking hands.

"Why don't you go and clean yourself up and then meet me in an hour in the television car" Malva says and I reply with a nod. "Good, your bedroom in down two cars. It has your name on."

"Thank you" I say as I get up and leave the car, heading towards the bedrooms.

* * *

I sit cross legged on the most comfortable bed I have ever sat on. I stare at the television while the two hosts, Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith, talk back and forth to each other.

When I first entered the room I was taken away. It was just as big as the room I shared with all the girls back in the home. There is a queen sized bed that is really soft and comfortable. A large, flat screened television is mounted on the wall in front of the bed. Attached to the room is a large bathroom that holds both a shower and a bathtub.

A window sits above the bed letting the sunlight stream through. It has got to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

'Well Caesar, are you excited for this year?' Claudius asks Caesar.

'Do I even need to answer that' Caesar says with a laugh. 'I have not yet seen the tributes, but I am sure we have some good ones this year.'

'Well if they give up tributes as good as last years, we are sure to have a great games this year' Claudius says just as the screen behind them flickers to life, playing clips of last years games. I recognize the scenes from last year.

'Now this point Claudius' Caesar says as one of the most memorable scenes from last year plays out on the screen. 'This moment was the highlight of last year.' He is right. This fight outshone even the finale. It is the male tribute from 9 and the male tribute from 2. The one from 2 is clearly the stronger one, but the boy from 9 is slim and agile. The fight takes place atop a waterfall where razor sharp rocks wait below.

The boy from 2 makes the first move and goes for a blow with his mace, aiming at the others head. But the boy from 9 easily dodges and cuts across the shins of the boy from 2 with his small dagger. The boy from 2 doesn't even wince as he smashes the mace into the smaller boys shoulder, causing him to yell out in pain.

The smaller boy falls to the rock he was standing on and stares wide eyed at the bigger boy. The bigger one brings down the mace, ready to deliver the final blow, but the smaller boy rolls out of the way just in time. The smaller one climbs to his feet and staggers backwards, holding onto his mashed up shoulder.

With one last burst of hope he rams his smaller frame into the bigger boy and they both topple over the waterfall. They disappear into the water and one cannon fires, signaling a death. The small boy from 9 emerges from the water, blood seeping out of the many cuts on his body.

'And Jax went on to win didn't he' Claudius says.

'That he did Claudius. That he did. It will be a delight to see him back in the Capitol this year' Caesar replies. I shake my head and switch of the television. Its been about an hour and I have washed up and changed my clothes. So I leave the bedroom and head towards, what I presume from the noise, is the television car.

When I enter I find Malva, Peirce Vice and Gillian sitting on the red couches set up in front of a larger television. "Just in time" Gillian says as I take a seat next to Malva.

"Okay, I want you to study the tributes. Try and find out any weaknesses or anything you can use against them in the arena. The games start now dear" Malva whispers to me. I nod my head and the recap starts.

1 and 2 give up highly trained tributes. The boy from 1 stands out to me. He and the girl are cousins. His name is Glitz. He is tall with a strong looking physique. His hair is blonde and wavy and his eyes a sapphire blue. To say he is attractive in an understatement. Something about him intrigues me. I am going to have to keep an eye out for him.

3 don't give up much, just two malnourished, wide eyed kids. I feel sorry for them immediately. From 4 we have two 18 year olds that are beautiful beyond compare. They will surely use they're looks to get sponsors.

5 through 8 don't deliver much. One or two stand out like the girl from 7 and the boy from 6. But the rest either break down or are underfed and weak. Then its district 9 and I watch the whole thing leaning forward on my knees. I watch as Stella is reaped. The look on her face is one of terror. I seek out Allison and Art in the crowd and my heart aches for them.

I then volunteer and Stella's expression changes from one of terror to one of relief. That is until she sees its me and her small smile drops and tears start falling. I feel a hand on my shoulder as I watch myself walk to the stage. Tears are welling up in my own eyes now. I want to scream to myself to stop this and change my mind, but its no use.

Vice is reaped and I see an elderly couple at the back of the roped of areas crying. Are they his parents or grandparents? I turn to Vice and see him holding his knees and slightly rocking back and forth, tears rolling down his red cheeks. Whoever they are they mean a lot to him.

District 10 deliver a 13 year old boy and 14 year old girl. Both look terrified and the look they both have shows me that they know each other. 11 don't disappoint with 2 brutes. Both are 18 and both look strong. They will be ones to look out for.

12 dont give up much. I hear that they don't even have a victor anymore. He apparently topped himself a couple of years ago. They both already know they are dead. After the recaps I realize that I am the only other volunteer from the outer districts. This scares me. They may think I can fight, and that will surely give them all reason to take me out early.

I go to bed feeling more scared then I ever have. From volunteering I have basically painted a target on my back. My chances have just halved.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys and welcome back to the story. The people reading is dropping. Most are not even getting pass the first chapter. I hope this isn't boring for you. I would like to thank 'Dizzy Donuts' for adding this to they favorites. As always, reviews are extremely welcomed. I am not going to be one of those people who say they wont update if you dont review, or need a certain amount of reviews before updating, no. But I would like a review, just so I know that people are actually enjoying this story and what you like about each chapter.**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

* * *

_Riiiiiiiiiip!_

I wince as the wax strip is pulled from my legs. My prep-team flock around me like colorful birds, getting me ready for the big night tonight. Their names are Tux, Minka and Flint. Tux is a short woman with slicked back purple hair and leopard printed skin. Minka is tall and thin with insect like arms that fly around at unnatural speed, adding different lotions to my body. Flint has fiery red hair atop his head and bright orange eyes with orange tattoos that stand out again his paper white skin.

They are all alien to me and dont bother talking to me while they rip every last bit of hair from my arms and legs and any other unwelcome spot on my body. They chatter among themselves as they move from my arms and legs to my eye brows and hair. They pull out small, metal plyer objects and start plucking misplaced hairs and shaping my eye brows.

My arms and legs start stinging and when I raise my arm I see it red raw. "Get the bath ready" Flint says and Tux scurries off. She returns minutes later, smiling.

"Bath is filling now" she says, her voice squeaky. They quickly finish with my hair and eye brows and then they lead me to the bath. I smell a sweet perfume and it calms me a little. Without asking, Minka rips off my thin blue robe and I am standing naked in front of them.

I feel the blush burst in my cheeks as I try to cover myself with my arms. But then I remember what Malva said. _'Just do as they say and nothing will go wrong'_. She has been through this so she knows what she is saying. I slowly and reluctantly lower my arms to my side while they set my down in the tub.

The water is a light pink and bubbles sit on the surface. For a second I relax but then my arms are grabbed and they begin to scrub them. Its painful to say the least. After being waxed and then scrubbed, I felt like screaming in agony. But I bite my lip and just power through it. By the end, they must have scrubbed off a couple layers of skin. They then do the same to my legs and I feel like I am on fire.

When they take me out of the tub, they rub me down with an oil that soothes my skin almost instantly. "Much better" I mutter as I sigh in relief.

"Well put your robe back on and then wait for Freya" Minka says, talking to me for the first time. I do as I am told and all 3 of them leave. I take a seat on a metal table and I just wait. I get to thinking about the arena. What will it be like? What will it hold? Maybe a fiery volcano. A large ocean with little land. Maybe a dense jungle that I will get lost in and starve to death or even a snowy arena where we will all freeze to death. No. That wont look good on the Capitol. But still thinking about it gives me the chills.

I am snapped out of my thoughts when the door opens and in comes a middle aged woman. Her hair is light blonde in a beehive do. She has one single electric blue strip through her fringe. Her eyes are a pale blue and her skin white with two bright blue tear drop tattoos under each eye. She is wearing a white all-in-one with a blue strip down the outside of each arm and leg.

"Hello darling, I am Freya" she says as she extends her long, thin arm. I take her hand and shake.

"Serenity" I mutter back.

"Oh darling, dont mutter. For one its rude and secondly, I am not to be afraid off" she says.

"Sorry" I reply, talking louder.

"Anyway, today I am here to dress you up to be magnificent. Now how can we do this?" she says as she scratches her chin.

"Most years we are dressed up as wheat stacks" I tell her.

"Oh darling, dont you threat. My designs are never chosen, but this year they were. I know your district deals in wheat, but its also a very warm district" she says. Its true, we rarely get rain, but even when we do its warm. It never snows there. "So we are going to work with that. Come come darling, lets get you ready."

She leads me out of the room and down the corridor, into another room. This one is more spacious and the only piece of furniture in it is a giant wardrobe. I stand in my robe while she opens up the wardrobe and pulls out a black clothes bag. "Close your eyes dear while I get you ready. I want you to be surprised" Freya says.

I do as I am told and she gets to work. I feel her hands on me and then fabric covering my body soon followed by brushes on my eyes and face. After what seems like forever she is finished. "Now open" she says. I opens my eyes slowly and I front of me is a full body mirror. I stare at myself in awe. My blonde hair is held up in a high ponytail, making my features look sharp. I have minimal mak up but it makes me look fierce.

I have on a white dress with longe sleeves that go pass my hands. A pale yellow ribbon is tied around my waist and at the hem of the dress, pale yellow stems of wheat stand up. All together I look beautiful. "Wow" Is all I can mutter.

"I know darling, you look incredible" Freya says. "Now, lets go show them all how amazing you look." She leads me out of the room and further down the hall where an elevator wait. We both enter the elevator and and Freya presses a button marked 'S'. Once the elevator stops we enter what looks like a giant stable.

12 horse drawn chariots are lined up behind one another in a straight line. Almost all the other tributes are here. My eyes catch the district 1 tributes. The boy looks handsome with a white tuxedo with blue shoulder pads made out of sapphires. He is also wearing sapphire blue boots.

He turns around and our eyes meet. I feel butterflies in my stomach as his amazing eyes meet my own. The only other time I felt like this was when I look at Art.

He smiles at me and sends a whole new wave of butterflies through me. I tare my eyes away. No Serenity. You cant feel like this. Only one person can win. But I cant get him out of my head. Before I know it I am standing at the chariot. It is white with yellow trims. The horses are also white with yellow manes.

Vice and his stylist join us shortly after. Vice is dressed similar to me, but instead of a dress he has on a white tuxedo with yellow piping and a yellow tie. His hair has been cut shorter, but not by much. "Serenity darling, this is Muse Albot" Freya says, gesturing to Vice's stylist.

"Hello" I greet, offering my hand. He takes it and shakes.

"Its a pleasure" he says before letting go.

"Well then, lets get you two up onto the chariot and we will see you after the show" Freya says. I climb up first and then Vice follows. It feels odd standing here next to Vice. He is way smaller than me.

"Just loosen up and wave and smile. You two will be the talk of the night, no doubt about it" Muse says as he links his arms through Freya's

"Indeed they will. Whatever happens, just go with it" Freya says making me question her words. Whats going to happen? I am about to ask her, but a bell goes off and the rest of the tributes climb onto their chariots. The giant gates ahead of us open and district 1 ride out into the streets.

From way back here I can hear the roar of the crowd and I tense up. District 2 follow and before I know it, our chariot lurches forwards, leaving the stable and entering the long street. The crowds cheering is breathtaking. Its a miracle I haven't gone death. I do as I was told and put on a smile and wave to the crowd. They seem to enjoy it.

Suddenly a bright flash blinds me for a couple of seconds. I rub my eyes and look around me. The whole chariot, horses included, are glowing bright like the sun. The yellow on my dress is shimmering and the white is bursting with light.

This smile is not a fake one. I am excited. I turn to Vice and see he too is surprised and smiling. The crowds cheering grows louder and louder as we carry on down the street. People are actually on their feet and others cheering our names while throwing roses.

I blush as I hear some people complimenting me. We soon come to a stop as we near the training center. But even then our glow doesn't die down. It hits me that this is what Freya was talking about. Once all the chariots have stopped, the crowd quieten down and way up above us on a podium, President Snow takes his place. President Snow looks like a snake with his beady eyes and slim figure. Just looking at him gives me the creeps.

"Welcome" he speaks, his voice booming, drowning out any other noise. "Welcome tributes, we welcome you. We also thank you for being here today and we thank you for your sacrifice. We are happy to have you live here for this short amount of time and we hope your stay will be perfect." Every word her utters makes me cringe.

Truth is, the games may have started out as a way to keep the districts under control, but now they are just for entertainment. Cruel and sick entertainment. One day, the Capitol will get whats coming to them. I just wish I will be alive to see it happen.

After his speech, the chariots circle once more and then make their way into the training center, the place I could be spending the last week of my life. All the excitement I felt at the parade has now gone, replaced by dread. Its sunk in. In over a weeks time I can be dead...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Firs of all I would like to thank the anon review from '****HG1 FAN****' for reviewing. I am happy you like this and I hope this chapter pleases you. I would also like to thank the readers. If I know people are reading then I know that this isn't a complete train wreck, so thank you.**

**Enjoy this next chapter!**

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_Its dark...So, so dark. Fear is bubbling up inside of me as I turn my head at breakneck speed in every direction. I seek the light, but find only darkness. Goosebumps cover my arms and legs. It is impossible, but it seems to be getting darker._

_So I run. I run as fast as my legs can possibly go. Then I see it...a light. I race towards it like my life depended on it. Its getting brighter and brighter by the second, until I am finally enveloped by the light. It feels warm. I close my eyes and sigh in relief. I feel safe here. But where is here?_

_I slowly open my eyes to find myself standing in the middle of one of the largest fields back home. All the wheat is gone, leaving me to look out over the expanse of the empty field._

_'ReRe!' I hear Allison's voice from behind me. I turn to her and smile widely as she runs to me. We envelop each other as our bodies collide. She giggles as we spin around, never letting go off each other._

_'I missed you' I tell her as we stop spinning. Tears start to roll down both of our cheeks as we just look into each others eyes._

_'I missed you too ReRe...but you need to go' she says. This confuses me. Where and why do I have to go? I am back home am I not? 'This is a dream ReRe. But I know you can make this a reality. So wake up ReRe...wake up!'_

* * *

I slowly open my eyes as a knocking noise fills my ears.

"Serenity dear, wake up. We have a big big day ahead of us" I hear Gillian's voice as she continues to knock on the door. I groan as I sit up. I rub my sleepy eyes and smile at the dream I just had. If was nice to see Allison again, even though it was just a dream.

I swing my legs out of bed and look around the room. Its twice the size of the one back home. The bed is double the size of the one on the train and so is the television. A giant window looks out across the city, taking up one whole wall. On the other side of the room is a door that leads to a giant bathroom.

I look at the bathroom door and shudder at the memory of showering last night. I almost blinded myself with the soap that shot out of the shower head. I wont be using that option much. At the end of my bed is, what I presume, my training outfit. I quickly get dressed into it. Its a black tunic with red shoulder pads with the number '9' on them. Black sweat pants with a red strip down the sides of each one and also a pair of black running shoes. I tie my hair up using a hairband and then leave the room.

I find everybody else at breakfast and I become a little embarrassed that I am the last one to join them. "good morning" I greet shyly as I take a seat.

"Good morning Serenity" Gillian says, even though she had just woken me up five minutes ago.

"Eat up kid, you have a long day ahead of you" Malva says as she bites into a bread roll. I look at the food set up along the table and have difficulty choosing what to eat. After a long time deciding, I go with a bowl of fruit with natural yogurt. For a drink I just have water. I dont mind just eating fruit, because from the amount of tesserae I had taken out I never went hungry.

During breakfast Malva fills me in on whats going to happen. Over the next 3 days I will train alongside the other tributes. On the third day I will perform in front of the Gamemakers to show them what I can do. They will score me out of 1-12. Then on the last day I will be interviewed by Ceasar Flickerman in front of the entire nation. The day after that will be the day of the launch.

Hearing it in words makes everything suddenly feel real. If I dont train hard enough I will be dead in just 5 short days. Malva and Peirce escort Vice and I to the elevator that will take us down to the gymnasium. Malva pulls me slightly to the side and leans in close. "Alright, what I want you to do is first work on survival stations. They are your new best friend. But I also want you to work on a weapon station. Just pick one and try to become the best as you can be in these three days" she whispers.

"Okay" I reply and nod my head. I dont know what I am going to train with, but it needs to be something. I step into the elevator with Vice and the doors slide shut behind me. I look down at Vice and see he is showing no expression. This is going to be bad for him. I feel sorry for him and I just feel like taking car of him. But I cant. If I get too close it will be even more horrible when he dies.

The elevator stops at floor 3 and in come the two small kids. They are both holding each others hands and seem like they dont have a care in the world. Have they already given up on life? Nobody else comes in and the last stop is the gymnasium. As I step out of the elevator I notice that we are the last tributes to join. The girls from 1 and 2 glare at us, but the girl from 1 seems to direct it at me. Why?

All 4 of us fall into place and a dark skinned woman stands in front of us with her hands behind her back. "Welcome tributes, my name is Levia and I am the head trainer" she says. She has an air of leadership around her. She is muscular with strong features. She is intimidating me a little. "I know you are all eager to get your hands on a sword or a spear, but do not ignore the survival sections. Most of you will die from natural causes, so they are not to be ignored." With every word it sends a shiver down my spine. Talking about death has me glued to the spot. "Now, you will train for three days and on the third day you will perform in front of the Gamemakers. That will be all."

Everybody fans out but I stay glued to the spot. Where do I start? The careers have taken over the weapons section with the boy and girl from 11 joining them. A lot of the other kids have headed to survival stations. I catch eyes with the girl from 7 and she looks at me. She has dirty blonde, curly hair and pale blue eyes. She seems to stand around the same height as me. She soon turns away and heads to the fire making station.

I end up in the edible insects station where only the boy from 10 is. The trainer teaches us both about what insects are edible and what insects will kill us before they even reach our stomachs. I learn a lot, but all the talk of eating insects makes me fell queasy, so I move on to the fire making station.

I am alone so over the next 2 hours the trainer teaches me how to make the perfect fire and how to use natural resources to light it. After that station I move onto snares. 3 other tributes are there, but I dont give them any attention. By lunch time I have learned how to catch a squirrel that will hang by its neck.

I head to lunch feeling really hungry. I find a table by myself in the corner and just get on with eating. I look up every so often and find the careers chatting and laughing among themselves. It almost makes me feel sick how they can just laugh this off like its one big joke. Dont they know that only one of them can live. As I am looking over at them, Glitz, the boy from 1, looks over at me.

I feel the blush rush to my cheeks as he smiles at me, showing his perfect teeth. He seems to like the fact that he makes me feel like this because he does not look away once. I am glad when the bell rings and we are aloud back into the gymnasium. For the rest of the day I spend my time in the shelter making station. I make a couple of shelters that are decent enough to keep me covered. As soon as the bell rings for the end of the day I am the first to leave the gymnasium.

In my room I shower and change into a yellow tank top and grey sweat pants before heading out to the living area. "So how was your first day?" Malva says as I take a seat. I jump because I didn't notice her there as she was laying down.

"Oh...okay I guess. I stuck with the survival stations and learned a lot. Tomorrow I will try to find a weapon I can use" I reply.

"Okay, good. Well dinner will be ready in an hour or so, so just go and find something to do" Malva says as she gets up and walks away. I decide to spend the hour in my room and after dinner, I head straight back there and get some sleep. Today has been exhausting and I am certain tomorrow will be worse.

As I lay down under the covers my mind drifts to Glitz. Why was he smiling at me all through lunch? And not only then, but before the parade. Why does he make me feel like this? I shrug it off and close my eyes, but his face does not leave my mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I would like to thank all of you readers for giving your time to read my story. I would like to thank 'Luna0814' and 'nuttynuttynutball' for favoriting and following the story.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

I wake again and go through the same routine as yesterday. I get dressed into my training outfit and then head for breakfast where I have a bowl of fruit and natural yogurt with a glass of water. As I finish the last piece of watermelon Malva scoots over to me.

"Have you decided what weapon you are going to pick?" she asks, catching me off guard. I dont know how to answer her. I haven't even thought about it myself.

"Not yet" I reply.

"Okay, well that's all I want you to do today. And dont try to attract any attention. The last thing you need to do is paint a target on your back" she replies. Too late for that. I painted that target when I volunteered. I already have Glitz's attention.

"I will try not to" I tell her. She seems to question my words, but she does not say anything, so I say goodbye and head to the elevator. On the way down the beautiful boy from 4 and the girl from 2 join me.

"Cutting it a bit late Phoenix ain't we?" the boy says to the girl. I shrink back to the wall, trying to go unnoticed.

"Shut it Tritan" Phoenix snaps as she glares at the taller boy. Tritan just laughs it off before we come to a stop at the gymnasium. As soon as I step out of the elevator I scan the weapons. There is a long range of them. From swords for up close fighting, to bows for ranged. I see Glitz throwing a spear, meeting its mark in the dummy's chest. He smirks to himself and then look at me.

I quickly hide my face and speed walk over to a different weapons section, axes. The trainer tells me about the different axes you can use. I try to hold a two-handed axe, but its way to heavy. I then try to use smaller ones and throw them at targets, but they never hit the bulls eye.

I slump to the ground breathing heavily. How the hell am I suppose to learn to use a weapon in 2 days? "Hey don't give up just yet" I hear a smoothe, deep voice behind me. I life my head and turn around to see Glitz standing over me. My heart is hammering in my chest at the sight of him and I feel the blush rushing to my cheeks.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"I said dont give up" Glitz replies as he takes one of the axes that failed to hit the target. He launches the axe at he target and finds its mark right in the chest. "It isn't really that hard." What is he doing? Wont he get shunned by the other Careers if they see him talking to me? Maybe he is just trying to figure out what I am good at so he can take advantage of that in the arena.

I stand up and take a deep breath to compose myself. I pick up another axe and weigh it around in my hands. I am about to send it flying when I feel Glitz's body pressing against my back. His hands cover my own and they feel rough and strong. "You have to loosen up" he says. "Just dont think about anything else, just you and the target." Its hard to do that when you have somebody right behind you, holding your hands. He steps back but I still know he is right behind me. "Take a deep breath and hone in on your target." I do as he says and just focus on the dummy 15 feet away from me.

Its as if something comes over me. I bend my legs slightly before rearing back my arm and sending the axe through the air. The axe buries itself into the dummy's stomach. I was aiming for the chest area, but this will do. Happiness fills me as I turn around with a wide smile plastered on my lips.

"I did it" I yell in glee as I throw my arms around Glitz. Wait! Glitz...I suddenly let go and see him smirking at me. "S-sorry" I stutter.

"Dont be" he replies.

"I-I need to go" I quickly says as I turn and thank the trainer before speed walking away from Glitz. What was I thinking? Why did I hug him? _Stupid stupid little girl _a voice inside my head says. It sounds like me, but more mean. _Now he knows what you can do. Now you are going to die_.

I shrug it off and then we are called for lunch. All through lunch I can't help but stare at Glitz. Every time he smiles my heart skips a beat. I now know this feeling. Its love. I felt it with Art and now I feel it with Glitz. _Eew, you fell for him _the voice says in my head.

"Shut up" I mutter. Where has this inner voice suddenly came from? I dont hear anything else from it after that. As I look down at my plate I sigh. This cant be good Serenity. All this will bring is trouble.

I jump as a bang on the table jumps me out of my thoughts. I look up and see the girl from 7 staring at me. "Hi" she says as she takes a bite out of her sandwich.

"Erm...hi" I reply.

"Serenity right?" she asks and I nod my head. "My names Maple, district seven." she says.

"I know" I reply.

"So, I wont drag this on. Do you want to be allies?" Her questions takes me by surprise.

"You dont waste time do you?" I reply.

"Well when you know you could be dead in the next couple of days, there is no point" she says. I think about it. With an ally I could get further in the games. We could also sleep in shifts. Having an extra pair of eyes wont be too bad.

"Okay then" I reply with a smile.

"Great" she replies as we falls silent.

* * *

I groan as I drag myself onto my bed. My arms feels weak and legs feel like jelly. After lunch Maple made me run around the giant track that goes all around the gymnasium. And after that we took on the gauntlet where I got hit so many times in my arms and legs.

I learned a lot about Maple. She has 4 younger siblings back in district 7. Her parents run the bakery in town so she didn't have to take out any tesserae. She is 18 also and is engaged to a guy named Vin. I tell her about my life. About the home and my friends. I tell her what my reason for volunteering was and she makes me laugh with her response.

"That bitch better treasure Art" was her reply. She reminded me of Allison in that one second. A couple of hours pass and I find myself back in my room after dinner. But sleep eludes me. I cant stop thinking about Glitz. I climb out of bed and pull on a robe before making my way out of the room and through the living area and into the elevator.

I scan the buttons and find the one saying 'Roof' before pressing it. The elevator zooms up and I am on the roof within seconds. Its beautiful up here. A glass dome covers a beautiful garden with trees and flowers with a small fountain in the center. There is a door leading out of the glass dome, into the open air.

I find a bench and just sit, staring at the flowers and trees. Over the bench is a truss with vines growing on it. I look up and notice a brown rectangle shape so I stand on the bench and take it off. At a closer look I find its a leather book. I flip open the first page and see some writing.

_**The 21**__**st**__** Hunger Games**_

_**Tomorrow is the day I head into the arena. I found this book and decided to write down what I am feeling. I am scared to say the least. Not many people from the outer districts win. But I wont go down without a fight. I am fast so that's one thing, I am also handy with a knife.**_

_**But there are tributes who have clearly trained their whole lives. Maybe these will be my last words, maybe I will somehow come through the other side fighting. Its getting late now so I need sleep. If anybody finds this then dont be afraid to write in it. Heh, maybe these words will help somebody in the future.**_

_**Maria Gold, District 11**_

I turn the page an find another entry.

_**The 29**__**th**__** Hunger Games**_

_**So I found this 'diary'. The words of Maria Gold made me see sense. I am supposed to be one of the strong tributes. I am suppose to be in it to win it. But I am so scared. I know only 1 person can win and I will do all I can to make sure its me. But there is that little voice inside my head saying that I cant do it. Maybe writing it down like this will help. Maybe it will make things worse.**_

_**We still have 2 days left in the Capitol. The interviews will be tomorrow and then it will be launch day the day after. I guess these could also be my last words. As a parting message to anybody who finds this, good luck and I am sorry you have been put in this position.**_

_**Fleur Defoa, District 1**_

The name rings a bell. It then strikes me, she is a victor. I flip the page and see another entry with the same handwriting as Fluer.

_**The 35**__**th**__** Hunger Games**_

_**Its been many years since I first wrote in this diary. A lot has happened. First of all I won the games. In went through hell and came out on the other side. Doctors said something had snapped in me while I was in the arena. They say that I am clinically insane...truth is, I believe them. I moved into the victors village...alone. They are all gone. My family...all of them.**_

_**I guess this is kind of a warning to any of you that are reading this. Winning is not what they say it is. Its the worse thing I could have ever done. I wish I died in that arena. Just listen to me okay? Just listen.**_

_**Fleur Defoa, District 1, Victor.**_

I am shocked to say the least. What happened to Fleur? I am eager to find out so I my that my next objective. To watch Fleur's games.

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**A/N: A weird place to end this chapter, but I didn't want it to be too long. Please leave a review to tell me what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: A bit of a longer chapter here, because a lot happens. I would like to thank 'Dizzy Donuts' and 'Maxcine' for adding this to their favorites. I would also like to thank 'ironicduck' for reviewing. If you have not yet, go and check out their stories, they are AMAZING!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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_His breath is warm against my neck and his kisses scorch my skin. His hands are rough, yet gentle as he holds me close to him, our bodies coming together as one._

_I snake my arms around his neck and moan in pleasure as he begins to kiss from my ear down and across my collar bone. "I love you" his whisper seductively when he moves back up to my ear. His voice sends shivers throughout my body._

_"I love you too" I whisper back before looking into his sapphire blue eyes that shine in the moonlight streaming in through the window. I lean in and gently kiss him. His hands grips the back of my head as he deepens the kiss._

* * *

I shoot up in bed. Sweat is causing my clothes to cling to me. I cant seem to catch my breath. What was that dream? What's going on with me?

_Get a grip on yourself Serenity _the voice returns. Its right. I cant be feeling like this, not in this situation. I decide from here on out I would stay away from Glitz. If I become attached then it wont turn out good.

I decide to take a shower, so I enter the bathroom and strip from my wet clothes. I step into the shower and turn it on, on its cool setting. The water cools of my skin and relaxes me. After washing up I head back into my room and dress into my training outfit. Its still early so when I enter the dining room I am not shocked to see that I am the only one there, other than the avox's.

The table has yet to be set so I just grab a bowl from the serving station and fill it up with the usual fruit and yogurt. I sit at the table and just think. Today is the day I will show my skills in front of the gamemakers. I will need to practice my axe skills if I want to get a good score. Maple is from district 7 so she said she will help with my axe training, she has been handling them from a young age, so she knows what she's doing.

But not just the axe. I want to try and use a different weapon. It isn't certain that I will get an axe in the arena, so I need to find another weapon choice. I weigh the options. Spears will be decent, but I cant even throw an axe right, I am sure spears will be just as hard. Plus, Glitz likes using them. A bow will also be good, but once again, its the aiming. Swords are out of the question, just too heavy for me.

Knives...well I guess they can come in handy. They are both ranged and up close weapons. Knives it is then. I manage to lose track of time because before I know it, everyone else is joining me at the table.

"How long have you been awake for?" Malva asks.

"Not too long" I lie.

"Okay, well do you know what you are doing?" she asks. I think about it and something hits me. I have not yet told her about Maple.

"District seven" I blurt out.

"What?" she asks confused.

"Erm, Maple from seven. She asked me to be her ally and I agreed" I tell her. Her eyebrows raise and she crosses her arm.

"Was you even planning on telling me?" she asks.

"Yeah, its just I forgot yesterday...sorry" I apologies as I look down at my feet.

"No worries" she says after a sigh. "I will go and speak to the mentors from seven, and you head down to training."

"Okay" I reply before quickly walking pass her and heading to the elevator.

* * *

"Its best to loosen up your hands, but tighten your upper arm. You will have more control when throwing" Maple says as she once again throws an axe, splitting the head of the dummy in half. I smile and nod. She is good, but I haven't gotten any better.

"I think I am going to go work on knives" I tell her. She turns as she picks up another axe.

"Okay, well good luck. I will see you at lunch" she says as I walk away. As I make my way over to the knives I take a quick look at Glitz. My eyes widen when I see his shirtless body, wrestling with a trainer. Last nights dream flashes through my mind and my cheeks starts to heat up. It takes all my strength to tear my eyes away. I have to concentrate. I cannot get distracted.

At the knife station I find the 2 tributes from 5. The girl seems to be doing well, dodging anything the trainer throws at her and swiping at him, hitting him almost every time. The boy on the other hand is failing. He keeps falling down and dropping his knife. A man, who I guess is the head trainer for the knives section, walks over to me.

"Name?" he asks.

"Serenity" I reply.

"Well Serenity, can you use a knife in any way?" he asks. I shake my head and bite my lip. The only knife I have ever touched is a butter knife.

"Okay, well lets just see what you can do" he says as he turns around and walks towards a table with an array of knives on. I follow him and look across the table. There are some as big as short swords and others not even bigger than my little finger. "Take you pick" he says. I suddenly feel nervous. How am I suppose to know what one is good and what one is not.

After a while, he picks one up himself. "This one will do" he says as he hands me a medium sized knife with a black handle and a blade that's thin and sharp. He picks up his baton and puts on a helmet. "Try and dodge everything I throw at you, then when you see an opening strike."

"I will try" I mutter before he swings his baton. It hits me in my leg and before I know it I am on the floor laying on my back. The baton is only foam, but the impact with the floor has taken the wind from my lungs. I just lay there for a second until I see a hand stretched out at me. I take the trainers hand and he pulls me up.

"You're gonna need to be faster than that girl" he says. I smile and nod. Over the next hour I learn a lot about knives. I find I am pretty decent with one. I manage to dodge many of his blows, while getting my own swipes in too. I use different knives too. He tells me that the long ones are best used for close ranged fighting, while smaller ones are best for throwing. I learn to throw them with some accuracy, but its not my strong point, just like the axes.

At some point Maple had joined me and she too wanted to learn something. Even though she excelled in axes, she wanted to try something other than an axe, because it was not certain she would get one. Afterwards though I am exhausted and I am happy to go the lunch...that is until I remember that now it will be time to show the gamemakers what I can do.

"You will be fine" Maple says as we sit at our usual table in the corner.

"I dont know...I mean, I can use an axe and a knife, but I am not excellent at them. What if I mess up and they give me the lowest score ever. Then neither of us will get sponsors" I reply before resting my head on my arms.

"I dont plan on messing up, so there will be my sponsors too" she says with a smile. I smile back but still feel crappy. My eyes drift around the room and meet Glitz's who is staring right at me. For a couple of seconds we just stare at each other. But then we are broke out of it by a female voice booming out of the speakers set around the canteen.

'Glitz Stone, district one' the voice says and Glitz gets up. Time seems to slow down and it feels like forever has passed. Maple is called, followed by district 8. Then Vice is called and 15 minutes later, its my name being called. I stand up from the table, hands shaking at my side. I slowly make my way out of the room where a trainer takes me to the room just down the corridor.

I head back into the gymnasium. It looks so big with just me and the gamemakers in it. They are elevated above the ground in a room. Some of them look drunk while others look at me with interest. I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants before heading over to what I presume is the center of the room.

"Serenity Fallows, district nine" I make myself known. The ones that can still control their bodies nod their heads. I turn and walk towards the axes. I pick up the one I have been working with, but as I stand there my mind goes blank. I can't remember anything the trainers or Maple have told me. Shit! I look around, trying not to panic. I lock my eyes on the dummy and take a deep breath. Something comes over me, something familiar. Its like I can feel Glitz standing behind me, his hands clasped around my own.

I raise up the axe and send it flying through the air, splitting the dummies head in half. I gasp as I look at what I have done. I look to the gamemakers and they seems pleased, so I carry on, my confidence flying sky high. In the 15 minutes they give me, I have took apart 4 dummies with my axe. I shown them how fast I can make a fire and I send knives into another dummy. Some of the knives have hit the wall behind it though.

"Well done Miss Fallows" the head gamemakers says. I nod my head with a smile before leaving the room. They have got to give me a good score for that.

* * *

"So I spoke to the mentors from seven and they agree with the alliance, we will work together" Malva says to me as we gather on the couches.

"That's good" I reply, but my mind is elsewhere. I cant stop thinking about whats coming up. In a matter of minutes my score will be revealed. I could either have a good one, or a crap one. These next few minutes could determine my fate in the arena.

"Quieten down now" Gillian says as she turns the television on. Vice is sat next to Peirce and I am sat next to Malva. I haven't spoken to Pierce much over the week I have known him. I guess its because he is not my mentor.

The screen flickers to life and Caesar Flickerman is sitting there, his hair bright yellow and white suit. "Welcome everyone to the revealing of the scores" he says. Gillian is practically jumping in her seat. "Well then, lets not waste time. District one, Gemma...nine." Glitz gets a 10 and so does the girl from 2. The other careers get a 9 each. I feel sorry for the tributes from 3 because they both only score a 2.

When Maple shows up on screen I cross my fingers and hope for a good score. Her work sure pays off as she lands an 8. I sigh in relief and clap for her. Its only been 2 days, but I love her already. I guess its because she reminds me so much of Allison. Before I know it, Vice's picture is on the screen. "District nine, Vice...six."

"Oh my, well done Vice" Gillian says.

"You did great" Peirce says to Vice, who smiles back.

"District nine, Serenity...eight" Caesar says and a wave of relief washes over me.

"We can work with that" Malva says as she pulls me into a hug. I am speechless. Overall my score is average, but average is better than poor. I go to bed feeling slightly pleased with myself. With both mine and Maple's scores, we can rack in some sponsors for sure.

As I lay in bed, only the sheet covering me due to it being too warm, I think about the future. With only 1 more whole day until the arena, means I could have only 1 whole day before I die. Tomorrow could be the last time I see a sunset or the night sky. This terrifies me.

I realize that sleep is not coming anytime soon, so I go the one place I can relax. The roof. As I step out into the green house that covers the roof I realize that I am not the only one here. There is somebody else. I see a shadow on the bench where I found the diary. Its too big to be a girl, so it must be one of the male tributes.

I am about to leave when I hear his voice. "Serenity?" Glitz questions. I turn back around and see him standing a couple feet away.

"Y-yeah?" I ask as I put my hands in my pockets.

"Cant sleep?" I shake my head. "Well there is plenty room for two on this bench" he says. I slowly make my way over and we both sit down. Last time I was up here I felt calm and relaxed, but right now I feel awkward and shy.

"Only one day left" I mutter, breaking the silence that had fell between us.

"I know." he says followed by a chuckle. I turn to him and as I look into his eyes I see something. Something that tells me he is hiding something. Silence falls over us again and it seems like forever until he talks. "So I seen you with the knives...you're pretty good" he says.

"Thanks" I reply.

"You could probably give Gemma a run for her money" he says. This makes me blush.

"She is you're cousin" I say.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I like her. In fact, I hate her. All our lives she has always tried to out best me in everything. She only volunteered because I did. She wants to be the one to kill me and end the streak of winners in my family" he says. This shocks me. Why would family want to kill family? I think about the victors from district 1 and I realize. His dad won and so did his brother and sister.

"So you have a lot riding on winning?" I ask. I feel stupid afterwards. We all have a lot riding on it. Its either you win or you die, simple as. He seems to pick on on my stupid question and just laughs.

"Dont we all" he replies shortly after. I suddenly feel really tired, I guess 2 nights are hardly no sleep will do this to a person. Before I know it my eyes are drifting shut. I fall to the side and feel an arm wrap around my shoulder before falling to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: First of all, I would like to thank all you who have been reading this story. It means a lot that people are actually reading something that I have written. Secondly, I would like to thank the guest reviewer. I like that you are enjoying this story and I hope you enjoy the rest of it.**

**Please enjoy this next chapter.**

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A chill runs through my body as I slowly begin to wake up. The first thing I see is green. Green grass, green trees and green bushes. More colors come into view. Flowers of all colors. Last nights memories flash through my head and I shoot up. Glitz is not here. Something falls off of me when I turn I see a thin sheet hanging off the bench. Did Glitz cover me up? I smile a little while thinking about it.

Then it hits me. Today is the final full day in the Capitol. Tomorrow I will be entering the arena. But the thing that scares me most are my feelings for Glitz. How in the world am I going to get through this when I have fallen for another tribute?

_Do you even want to get through it? _The voice asks. Of course I want to win the games and go home. _Really? What about Art and Stella? Would you really want to see them everyday? _I didn't think about that. Do I really want to go back home where I will be confronted what what my life could have been if I had told Art about how I feel?

But then Allison's face flashes through my mind. She needs me. She is like my sister and I can't leave her to go through this world alone. This changes my mind completely. Of course I want to win. I want to go home to Allison and Anistar. I shake off all doubt and stand up from the bench. Something falls to the fall in front of me and when I look down I see the diary I had found days before.

I pick the diary up and flip through the pages. I stop when I see Glitz's name written. I sit back down on the bench and read through the entry.

_**The 48**__**th**__** Hunger Games**_

_**I volunteered for the games thinking winning will be easy. I thought I would take out the other tributes and then go back home to my family. But I didn't think I would ever fall for another tribute. I want to win so bad, but every time I see her I question if I can actually do this. If I win then she dies. And I may not have spoken to her much, but I know I don't want nothing bad to happen to her. I never used to believe in love at first sight, but my beliefs have changed drastically since I came here.**_

_**I don't know what to do. I guess we will just have to see how things plan out.**_

_**Glitz Stone, District 1**_

I hadn't realized I had been crying. I wipe the tears from my eyes and flip back to the previous page. I still haven't had time to watch Fleur's games. I will try tonight. I need to know what she did wrong in her games. I place the book back where I found it the first time and then wrap the sheet around me and make my way back down to floor 9. My mind is a mess. I don't know what to think about Glitz anymore. I know my feelings are strong. I know that this could be love.

As I step out of the elevator I flinch as Gillian shouts "Where have you been young lady?"

"Sorry, I kinda feel asleep on the roof" I reply, leaving Glitz's name out of it.

"Oh thank god. I thought you may have run away" Gillian says as she pulls me into a hug.

"I'm sorry" I reply as she lets go.

"Its okay dear, just don't do that again tonight" she says. I nod and walk pass her. As I enter the living area Malva is there waiting for me.

"Don't bother, I just got the lecture from Gillian" I say as she stands with her arms crossed.

"Okay, just tell me. Where were you?" she asks.

"The roof. I couldn't sleep so I went up there. I fell asleep without noticing and woke up still on the roof" I reply as I tighten the sheet around me.

"Whatever. So today we will head down to the gym where I will work with you for the morning. After that you will spend the afternoon with Gillian, working on your stage presence. Go get dressed and then we will have breakfast before heading down" she says. I nod and head to me room.

I join Malva minutes later at the breakfast table. I have my usual fruit and yogurt before we head down to the gym. Some of the other mentors and their tributes are down there, but not all of them. I guess we will switch later. I look over and see that its Gemma down here, not Glitz.

"So, where do you want to start?" Malva asks.

"Axes, I need to work a little more on them" I say as we head over to the station. Over the next hour I show her my skills and she gives me pointers. I work a little on my aim when throwing, but I am still pretty useless when it comes to that. After the axes we go over to knives. These are how Malva won. She could throw them with amazing accuracy. She teaches me a little, but my accuracy with throwing anything doesn't improve.

"Do you know anything about Fleur, the victor from one?" I ask as we head over to fire making.

"Fleur is an interesting character. She is the only victor from the career districts, that won by chance. After a couple of days in the arena she broke. She is the only career victor I can stand" Malva replies. "Why? Whats with the interest?" she asks.

"Oh, no reason. I just saw something advertised about her" I lie. Malva shrugs it off. "What about her family?" I ask.

"Oh...that. Its a sad story really. After she won her family were on the way to the train station to welcome her back. But the car they were driving in crashed, killing both of her parents and younger sister. It was tragic" Malva replies. Something about this doesn't make sense. The way Fleur wrote her words, it made me feel like she did something wrong in the arena. She was warning whoever read the diary. Why?

After a couple of survival stations its time for us to go. Malva and I head up to floor 9 and Peirce and Vice head down. "Okay, go wash up and then meet Gillian in the living area. I have some business to take care off" Malva says. I just sigh in reply before heading to my room. The rest of the afternoon I am put through torture because Gillian has me walk around in high heels, everywhere I go. I feel as though my feet are on fire.

Gillian cuts the prep short because she has to go get ready herself for the interviews tonight. I plop myself down on the bed in my room and pick up the remote. As I scan through the channel, I come across one that has a list of all the games so far. This is my chance to watch Fleur's games. I find hers out and press play.

The cornucopia sits in the desert, surrounded by spiky green plants. But it isn't all desert. Of in the distance to the west is a forest of sorts, with a snow caped mountain towering above everything. To the east is a large ocean that seems to not end. The camera zooms in on Fleur and she does look scared. Her face is place and her eyes bloodshot, no doubt from lack of sleep.

As the countdown ends, hell breaks loose. Fleur is one of the first at the cornucopia. She grabs a small sword and a bag before leaving the golden horn. That's when she comes face to face with her district partner. In a quick movement, his head is rolling across the floor while his body slumps to the sand. The fear she shows is something I have never seen before. I could see in her eyes that she didn't mean to kill him, her body acted for her.

She lets out a high pitched scream before falling to the sand, pulling the body of the boy onto her lap. She grips the body like her life depended on it, crying while rocking back and forth. I feel a tear roll down my cheek as I watch this poor girl breaking to pieces. 8 more die in the bloodbath and the careers find Fleur cradling the headless body.

They manage to pry Fleur's hands off of it and drag her away, back into the cornucopia. For the first night the careers discuss what to do with Fleur and come to the decision to kill her when she sleeps. But when that times comes, they find that Fleur had gone. She had overheard them and ran off with the sword and a backpack.

For the next few days Fleur just travels, only stopping for water. She was clever and drained water from the spiky green plants. In a week almost all the tributes have died, leaving just Fleur, the girls from 2 and 4 and the boy from 7. The gamemakers drew them all together at the base of the mountain, sending in bear mutts to round them up. The girls from 2 and 4 had made a pact that they will stick together until the very end. The boy from 7 was amazing with an axe. He had killed 3 tributes before this.

Fleur stood shakily as she eyes the other 3. It was too long before action started, so one of the bear mutts picked the girl from 2 up and threw her body at the mountain's rocky surface, killing her instantly. This pushed the girl from 4 and boy from 7 to begin fighting. Fleur watched as the other 2 cut into each other, until one of them died. The boy from 7 emerged victorious, though he had lost his arm and had several puncture wounds from the girls trident.

The boy turned to Fleur, holding his biggest puncture wound on his stomach. Fleur's hands were shaking so much that she dropped her sword and stood their, struck by fear. The boy charged at Fleur and knocked her to the ground. They rolled for a while, but he pinned her down, close to the mutts. The boy used his only arm left to choke Fleur. It was almost over and I cant stop the stream of tears rolling down my cheeks.

But in one last burst of energy, Fleur bucked her hips, loosening her legs before kicking the boy over her body, right into the waiting mutts. The mutt's didn't kill straight away, they tortured the boy and Fleur just sat their screaming. But then she shouting something that stopped my heart and even froze me with fear.

"Your fucking sick. You can all rot in hell you useless pieces of scum" she yelled to the sky, directing her words to the Capitol. I quickly switch of the television and just sit, staring at the black screen. Is that why her family died? Did the president punish her for what she said? Is this what Fleur meant when she wrote what she did in the diary?

There is only one way to find out...I have to win.


	9. Chapter 9

I feel exhausted. Right now I am standing in a room with Freya as she finishes up my dress. Before this I was with my prep team and they scrubbed me down until I was red raw. I was in pain, but then they rubbed me down with the same oil they used way back before the parade, and all pain is gone.

My dress is made of a thin material and is a pale yellow color. It is tight around my chest and waist, but loosens up on my legs. A pale green ribbon is tied around my waist and at the hem of the dress are green floral patterns. It is a gorgeous dress, but I dont feel like its for me. I stare at myself in the mirror and it still shocks me knowing that the Capitol can make anything beautiful.

My hair is tied high up and I have minimal make up around my eyes, making them burst with color. "And...were done" Freya says as she steps back and admires her work. "I have done it again...pure genius I am." Her words make me smile.

"Thank you so much Freya, its really beautiful" I say as I run my hands over the material. I see tears in her eyes and for a second I feel like I have upset her.

"Don't worry darling, they are tears of happiness" she says and I relax. "Well then..."she says as she wipes the tears away, "lets get you to the show." I nod and she leads me out of this room and down the hall where the room under the stage is. "Good luck out there" Freya says as she hugs me and then pushes me gently into the room.

I look around and see that not everyone is here yet. But the one person I do notice is Glitz. I blush at the sight of him. He is wearing a light blue blazer over a white shirt, showing of his obvious muscles. A pair of white trousers cover his legs and on his feet are black shoes. His hair is neatly cut and his eyes show no fear, just confidence. Before he can see me I quickly scurry over to Maple.

"Wow, you look amazing" I tell her. Her hair is pulled tightly back, showing of her fierce eyes. Her make up has just made her look more fierce. Her dress is a long white one with vines spreading out at the hem by her feet. A vine is tied around her waist and around the end of the sleeves that stop at her wrists.

"Thanks, so do you" she replies. I smile and nod my head slightly. We are silent for what seems like forever, but Maple breaks it. "Well its gonna start soon, better head back to your district partner" she says. I nod and wave her goodbye before walking back 2 spaces and finding Vice looking pale. I haven't spoken to Vice since we entered the Capitol. At first I didn't because I didn't want to risk the chance of us to meeting in the arena and having to fight. But then it just became instinct to me. I felt like I had to not talk to him.

But looking at him now reminds me of Anistar. I can't stand here silently while he suffers. So I kneel down and take his small hands in my own. "Don't worry" I tell him. His eyes go wide and he looks like he might just turn and run from me. "Don't be scared Vice." I am trying to sound comforting to him, but I feel like I am failing.

His eyes close and when he opens them again tears are evident. "I-I'm so scared" he stutters, his voice breaking my heart. I want to tell him that everything will be okay, but we both know that its not true. There is a high chance that he will be dead tomorrow. The look in his eyes tell me that he knows this.

Without thinking I pull him into a hug and push back my own tears. He lets out a small sob before we let go. I stand up but I don't let go of his hand. The interviews start with Ceasar Flickerman introducing himself and then he welcomes Gemma onto the stage. I glare at the screen as she walks on with her light blue dress. Her interview goes by fast and then Glitz is on the stage.

I don't take my eyes off of him throughout all of it. He is playing the arrogant role well. He says he is going to win it and nothing is going to get in his way. But I know from his writing in the diary that he is just as scared as I am. I guess the careers are given roles to play so they can get sponsors. I was just told to be myself.

The rest fly by and soon enough its Maple. She goes on acting mysterious. She leaves not only the crowd, but myself wanting to know more. She has clearly just scored herself some sponsors. Before I know it, my name is being called. I let go of Vice's hand and make my way to the stairs that lead up to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Our volunteer from district nine...SERENITY FALLOWS!" Ceasar shouts as he gestures back to me. The crowd go wild as I put on a smile and head onto the stage. The lights almost blind me and the sound of the crowd leaves me speechless. Ceasar takes my hand and guids me to the chair set up for us tributes. He smiles widely at me, showing of his bright white teeth. "Hello Serenity" he says as the crowd dies down.

"Hello Ceasar" I reply as I place my hands on my lap.

"First of, let me tell you how beautiful you look" he says and I blush a little. "Right, so lets go onto the reaping. Why did you volunteer?" he asks. No words can form. Malva warned me about this. She said they will ask about the reaping. But what do I tell him? That I volunteered to save the love of my life's fiance?

"To be honest Ceasar...I dont know" I lie. He seems a little confused at this. "I mean, I kind of blanked out and before I knew it I was on the stage." I laugh a little.

"I bet it was natural instinct. You wanted to be in the games and your body knew it" Ceasar says as he laughs. I laugh too and nod slightly. "Anyway, onto your training score. An eight. How do you feel about that?" he asks.

"Well I was shocked to say the least. I would never have thought I would get an eight. But I guess I am kind of happy. It goes to show, I am not useless" I reply. I wonder if anybody will sponsor me.

"I bet you were. Anyway, our time is nearly up but one last question. Are you in an alliance?" he asks. Do I say yes or no? I seek out Malva in the crowd and find her in the third row. She shakes her head and I nod.

"No, not that I know of anyway" I say, joking a little and forcing a laugh. The crowd and Ceasar all burst out into laughter like I am the funniest person on earth.

"Well then, it has been a pleasure" he says and we both stand. "Ladies and gentlemen, your volunteer from district nine, Serenity Fallows." He take my hand and I curtsy and he bows. I turn and walk off the stage. I didn't realized how hot I was because when I get off the stage I am practically dripping in sweat...not the most appealing thing.

As I pass Vice by I smile at him which he returns before I head into the elevator. I rush to the television in the living room just in time to see Vice talking about his family. He talks of his father and mother and his younger twin siblings. I tear up at some part and when I head back to my room I find my make up had been running.

After a quick shower I lay in bed. My mind is blank as I stare out of the window. I know sleep wont come, not tonight. Not the night before the games. So I go to the one place that soothes me. I pull on a nightgown and head up to the roof, this time with a pen. I sit on the bench with the diary in my hands then flip to a clear page. The words come out like I have wanted to write them for years. I write about home, about how I feel and about the people I love. After I have signed it I realize I had taken up almost 3 pages.

I smile slightly and place the diary back in its original place. I think about the diary. I think about Maria Gold, the first girl to write in the diary. What was she like? Would I have liked her? Then I think about Fluer Defoa. Her life seemed to do a flip during her time in the arena. Then I think about my life. It was only a week ago that I left home, but it seems like a lifetime ago. What will Allison be doing now? How is Art feeling? One by one their faces flash through my mind.

As I sit and stare out across the night sky, I think about my future. What will tomorrow hold? Will I be dead tomorrow? Will I survive the bloodbath? What will the arena be like? Where could I possible spend my last living days? Altogether these thoughts scare me. But they also give me a drive. A drive to overcome any obstacle that may stand in my way. A drive that tells me I can go home.

Only tomorrow will know...

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**A/N: A little later than when I usually update, but I hit a wall and didn't really know what to write. But its back now and I am going to try and keep on top of the updates. Thank you to EVERYONE who has read my story and an extra big thank you to those who reviewed/favorited/followed. It means so much to me.**

**For the guest review, its District 9, not 12. **

**Keep sending in the reviews, it drives me to write the next chapter. Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

I wake already feeling sick. Last night after I spent half the night on the roof, I decided to try and get some sleep. It finally came. But being up this early is just making me feel queasy. That and the fact that the games start today. _You are not ready _the voice returns. _There is no way you are going to make it out alive while you are like this_. I cover my ears and pull my knees up to my chest.

I have to get my head straight. It wont do me any good going into the arena confused. I clear my mind and focus on one goal, to survive the bloodbath. I need to take this day by day. A rapping on the door forces my head up just as Gillian enters. "Up up, come on dear" she says as she claps her hands together. "Today is an extra special day."

"Yeah yeah" I mutter before climbing out of bed. I quickly wash and then go out to meet everyone. My prep team and Freya are here. Malva is sitting in her usual spot sipping on coffee. Vice looks my way and we both share a small smile.

"Are you okay?" Malva asks as I take a seat next to her.

"As okay as a girl going to her death could be" I reply, trying to make a joke out of the situation. Joking will probably be the only way I can get through this without breaking down. Malva smiles a little and takes my hand into hers.

"Eat up, you will need your strength" she says. I do, but today instead of just fruit and yogurt, I eat bacon, bread, potatoes and fruit aswell as a cup of orange juice. I guess most will be too nervous to eat, but I know I will most likely not have food for a while, so I eat as much as I can. After breakfast I say my goodbyes to my prep team who have not stopped crying. Overdramatic.

Freya will be escorting me to the arena and will be the last person I see before I enter, so I save my goodbyes for her. I turn to Malva and throw my arms around her. "Just in case I dont come home, thank you for everything" I whisper into her ear.

"Remember what I promised on the train?" she asks. I think back and nod.

"You said you will do everything in your power to get me home alive" I reply.

"Exactly" she says with a nod. I hug her one more time, pushing back the tears that are threatening to fall. After saying goodbye to Malva I quickly hug goodbye Gillian and then Freya is hurrying me off to the roof. Our elevator ride is silent and as we pass through the green house on the roof I sneak a glimpse at the bench. Flashes of Glitz and I fly through my mind and I smile a little. The smile soon drops when the hovercraft lowers its ladder.

"Dont worry darling, you wont fall" she says. I hesitantly grip the rope ladder and some invisible force sticks me in place. The ladder rises me up and Freya follows shortly afterwards. At some point the windows black out and I know we are close to the arena. My heart starts hammering in my chest and my hands shake. _Get a grip Serenity _the voice yells in my head. Its right...I need to the concentrate.

I take deep breaths and it seems to calm me a little. The hovercraft comes to a halt and before I descend on the ladder a Capitol attendant takes my arm and injects a flashing device into it. "Its your tracker, so the gamemakers can keep track of you in the arena" she tells me and I nod, wincing a little from the pain.

The ladder descends into the catacombs of the arena. Freya and I are led by 2 peacekeepers to the launch room. Its a small white room with a metal plate in the far corner. "How are you feeling?" Freya asks after the doors close.

"Scared" I reply with a sad chuckle.

"You will do great out there darling" Freya says, taking my hands in hers. "Now go show them what your made off." Is this some kind of joke to her? She talking like I want to be here. I just force a smile and nod slightly. "Great, so lets get your outfit read" she says as turns to the a clothing rack.

"What is it?" I ask as she unzips the clothes bag.

"I don't know dear. This will be the first time I would be see it" She replies as she takes out the outfit. "Its thin and waterproof, so expect water" she says. Oh no...I dont know if I can even swim. "Dont worry if you can't swim, this thing," she says as she points to a purple band around the waist area, "this will keep you afloat." That clears my fears of the water.

I get dressed into the suite, only to find it isn't the only thing they are putting us in. She gives me a thin black jacket with a yellow piping down each arm. "For warmth?" I ask and she nods. I zip the jacket up and slip on a pair of boots.

_'Thirty seconds until launch'_

I jump at the sound coming out of the speakers. Freya leads me over to the plate and as soon as I am firmly in place a glass tube descends around me. My heart starts to hammer again and my hands shake uncontrollably. I remember what Malva said. She is going to help me. This calms me a little. All I have to do is get pass the bloodbath.

I take one last look at Freya and she smiles at me. Then the plate begins to rise. I am shrouded by darkness for a couple of seconds until I hit light once again. I am in shock to say the least. The cornucopia is sitting about 40 yards away. The sky is grey and lightning lights the sky while thunder shakes me to my very core.

I hear water behind me and when I turn I see a 20ft drop into murky water. Pass the water is a grassy field and beyond that is a forest. "Welcome tributes" Claudius Tampelsmiths voice booms throughout the arena. "Welcome to the forty-eighth annual hunger games. May the odds be ever in your favor." And the countdown starts.

I look around and find Maple 8 places to my right. She looks my way and nods her head. I dont see Vice so he must be on the other side of the cornucopia. Then I see Glitz. He is staring right at me. I can see the fear in his eyes, but everything else about him screams confidence.

As the countdown nears the end, rain begins to fall. Its light at first but then changes into a full on downpour. Its so bad I can hardly see whats in front of me. Shit! The gamemakers have clearly done this to split up any alliances. It can also cause ally to turn on ally. I see a small pack a good 15ft in front of me. That will be my goal. Get that pack and get out.

_5_

I take deep breaths and get ready.

_4_

My heart is racing, but I push it aside.

_3_

I bend my knees slightly.

_2_

Almost time...

_1_

BOOM!

_0_

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**A/N: HA! Yeah, I done it. I left you all wanting to know whats going on. You will have to wait until next chapter. Anyway, thank you to anyone who has been reading this. It means so much to me (da ja vu). Please send me a review telling me what you think. From this point onward I am going to be having a set day when I upload. I am thinking Monday's.**

**Thanks again, until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: wow guys, I am sorry for the long break. But with it being the holidays I haven't had much time to write. Here is the first chapter of the games. I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think about the arena so far.**

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I am frozen. My legs wont work with me. The other kids have already ran and some are even fighting. But my legs just wont work. The entire plan to get the pack and leave has been thrown out of the window. The rain has soaked through the coat, but it has still kept me warm.

I close my eyes and think about Malva. What would she do in this situation? I can almost here her now. _"Get off of that stupid plate and run" _she would say. _But you can't can you? _The voice sneers in my head. _You are just a weak girl from district 9. You can't win these games...you never could. Just die Serenity, do the world a favor and die._

No...I dont want to die. Something deep inside of me jolts my legs awake and I stumble off my plate. Screams fill the air as tributes fight and others die. I scramble forward, heading towards where the pack was, just to find its been taken. "No" I almost shout. I stand up from the rocky floor and stumble backwards. That's when I see it through the thick rain. The spear risen in the air over a tribute I don't know. Glitz eyes shine with a terror that scares me. Is he really a blood thirsty monster like the other careers?

I don't get to see him kill the tribute because the back of my foot catches on my plate and before I can stop myself I am falling off of the big rock and towards the murky water. The water hits me like ice, stinging every part of my body. The air has gone from my lungs and the only thing keep me from drowning is the flotation sack around my waist.

I break through the surface of the water and start kicking my legs. It seems to work and I am slowly propelled to the shore. I drag myself onto the grassy bank and just lay there, staring up at the sky that has unleashed tons of water onto us. I got nothing...nothing to survive off. All the energy has been drained out of my body and washed away with this rain.

**'Dont give up...'**

**'Come back to us...'**

I hear Allison's voice. "I am sorry Allison. I just dont think I can do this. I was so certain that I can at least survive the bloodbath with something to survive off of, but no. I cracked and just stood there. I am so sorry Allison" I say all in one breath, tears falling from my eyes and mixing with the rain water.

"Serenity!" I tilt my head to the side and see somebody thrashing around in the water. "What are you doing?" I recognise that voice...Maple. Of course, I am allies with Maple. I push with a burst of energy and sit up. She climbs onto the grass and she drags me to my feet. "Come one" she yells and drags me across the field.

I try to keep up but I keep stumbling. But with the help of Maple we make it into the wooded area in under 10 minutes. But even then she doesn't stop running. After another 20 minutes of running she finally stops. We are both breathless and I collapse against a tree. "Are...you...okay?" I ask between breaths.

"Yeah, got...a little...graze" she says as she looks at her arm. The material is torn and a thin trickle of blood is soaking the surrounding fabric. "Nothing too bad" she finishes. She tears a strip from her jacket sleeve and ties it around the wound. I look to the floor beside her and just realize the axe and a medium sized pack. On the blade of the axe is blood that wasn't washed off in the rain.

"D-did you kill?" I ask, feeling nervous around Maple all of a sudden. She looks to the axe then at me then back at the axe. She doesn't say yes or no, but I know the answer from the sad look and tears in her eyes.

"H-he just came r-running" she stutters as her breaths become ragged. "I acted on instinct and swung...now he is dead." She has not taken her eyes off the axe.

"Who?" I ask. She doesn't answer at first so I ask again. "Who was is Maple?" I am starting to get scared. Did she kill Vice or Glitz?

"Skyla" she shouts out, clearly crying now. I sigh in relief but then it hits me. Skyla was her district partner.

"Oh Maple" I say as I scoot closer to her. I may be drained of energy, but my motherly side never goes away. I pull her into my arms and she sobs into my shoulder. We don't talk, I just hold her while she cries. I find myself crying silently as I think about home.

* * *

A couple of hours have passed since the games began and the rain has stopped completely. I didn't get anything from the cornucopia, but Maple got an axe and a pack. Inside the pack is a canteen, matches, a bag of dry crackers and some rope. Not much, but it will keep us alive.

Maple has barely spoken since she told me about what happened in the bloodbath, how she killed her district partner. She has just stared ahead, as if it isn't actually her. Like her body has been taken over by some unseen entity. Its beginning to scare me. We walk for a few more hours but stop when nightfall comes. This forest is huge, but we are lucky enough to come across a small stream.

"I will take first watch" she says as I sit down on the forest floor, leaves crunching under my weight.

"Okay" I mutter, a little startled that she spoke. I wait up for the anthem though and when it comes I am surprised that Vice had made it out alive. Where is he? Is he hurt? Does he have an ally? I suddenly feel worried for the small boy I never got to know. There are 9 deaths altogether. Both from 3 are dead. The girl from 4 and both from 6. Skyla from 7. I look to Maple and see tears in her eyes as she whispers sorry to the sky. Both from 8 are gone and the girl from 12.

After the anthem stops playing I lay my head down. Even though it was raining before, its now warm. The forest floor is soft with moss and leaves and it isn't long until I drift off to dream land.


	12. Chapter 12

I am shaken awake by Maple. Its still dark out, very dark actually. "Your turn to watch" she says as she lays down next to where I was laying. I stretch and stand before making my way over to a nearby tree and settle down at the unearthed roots. Its really nice to just sit here and think. The forest is calm and silent for the most part, other than the odd owl hoot. Its serene. I wonder if this is what its like living in District 7.

As time ticks on I grow more tired so I find little things to distract myself. I weave vines together and with my finger I draw little pictures in the dirt. Its all fine until I hear a scream not to far away, followed by a cannon. My heart starts pumping and I feel the urge to run. The scream seemed to wake Maple up because she is sitting up, looking in the same direction I had been.

"Should we move?" she asks.

"I don't know" I reply as silence falls between us. That soon disappears when voices reach my ears. Not just any voice though, its Glitz's voice. I want to run to him but I know he is with the careers. "Come on, lets move" I whisper to Maple.

"Up in the trees, go" she whisper's urgently back. I grab the bag while Maple grabs her axe and I begin to scale the tree. Maple has made it up before I even make it a quarter of the way. I begin to panic as a dim orange light catches my eye through the trees. _You're now going to die _the voice mocks in my head. I shake the thought away and carry on scaling the tree. I am halfway up when I see Glitz. His eyes catch mine and for a second I think he is about to throw his spear.

"Hurry" he says as his eyes dart around. My eyebrows knot together in confusion. He is saving me. Warmth fills me as I carry on climbing. I make it just before the other careers join Glitz.

"Who was you talking to?" Gemma, Glitz's cousin asks.

"Nobody, but I thought I seen somebody run that way" Glitz replies, pointing away from our tree.

"Well, lets get 'em then" the boy from District 2 says as he heads in that direction. As they walk away Glitz glances my way and I mouth a 'thank you'.

"What was that about?" Maple whispers in my ear. I jump at the sound of her voice, completely forgetting she was there.

"I honestly don't know" I lie. "Lets go back down. You need sleep" I say just as she yawns. She nods her head and we scale back down the tree. Its much easier getting down than getting up. Maple doesn't sleep straight away, but within an hour she is lights out. I lean back against the tree and think about Glitz. The diary must have been right. He does have feelings for me. Why else would he save me?

* * *

I sit up as Maple begins to stir. She slowly rises and yawns with a smile on her face. It soon falls as she looks around, realizing she is in the arena. "Good morning" I say to her as I hand her the canteen full of water. She takes it and sips on the water.

"Morning" she replies between sips. "We need food" she says as she stands up.

"Well, I am not much of a hunter" I reply as she hands the canteen back to me and I too take a few sips. "But I can forage. I learned a little about plants in training. Why dont we split up and meet back here in lets say, twenty minutes or so?"

"No" Maple blurts out, a little too loud. "I mean...what if you are attacked? You don't have anything to defend yourself with" she says, real concern in her yes. "We go together and see what we can find. Agreed?" she asked.

"Okay" I reply. So that's what we do. For a good hour was circle the perimeter of our little area and find a ton of berries and Maple even kills a rabbit for us. The gamemakers seem to be more than generous with the food and water in the arena this year. Maybe they want all the deaths to be bloody.

We cook the rabbit while it is still light so the smoke wont be easily recognizable. But we dont eat the rabbit until nightfall. I tell Maple to sleep first and rest against the same tree trunk I had done the night before. The forest falls silent pretty quick and I am in that serene place again.

I chew on a few berries to keep my mind occupied because truth be told, I am getting pretty tired. I try my best to stay awake, but every so often I fall into a short sleep. _Stay awake Serenity I_ tell myself, but its futile because before I know it I am nodding off.

* * *

Rustling of leaves draw me from my sleep. I slowly blink my eyes open and mutter Maple's name, but she doesn't reply. I am then up on my feet in seconds staring at the boy from district 12 with a handful of the berries we foraged. His wide black eyes stare at me like a wild animal caught in a trap. I smile at him, but within a second he has jumped onto me, pinning my arms down with his hand covering my mouth.

"Such a pretty girl" he says as he licks the berry juice from his lips. He then runs his tongue up my cheek and then back down to my jaw line. I squirm under his grasp, but he has me held tight. I see a glint of silver and notice he has a knife in his free hand. My heart begins to hammer in my chest as he runs the cold steel blade tip up the cheek he just licked. "I am going to have fun with you" he said. This is not the boy I seen in the recap. Something had clearly snapped in him.

He puts the knife into his waistband and his hand begins to wonder down my arm them back up to my chest. My eyes widen as he begins to grope me. My vision begins to blur as I start to cry. _Please Maple...wake up _I scream to myself, but it seems useless. So is this how it ends? Me being touched by a pervert and then killed?

I close my eyes and just pray it ends fast. His hand over my mouth seems to loosen and I take the chance. I bite down as hard as I can onto his finger and blood rushes into my mouth. I then scream as loud as I possibly can. I feel pain erupt in my right eye as his fist collides with my face. Soon though Maple has dragged him off me and pinned him against a tree.

I scramble backwards still screaming as I watch Maple cut hit throat open with the blade of her axe. His body crumples to the floor and his cannon sounds, but it's barely audible over my screaming. "Shush shush shush" Maple says as she cups my face in her hands. "Its okay" she says.

I begin crying with loud, animalistic sobs as she pulls me into her arms. I feel frightened and dirty. At some point Maple half carries, half drags me away from the scene but we return a few minutes later. The crying has ended and I am just staring ahead into the dark forest. I had just come so close to death and I realized one thing...I dont want to die. Before we entered the arena I said I didn't but there was that little voice inside my head saying that it will be better if I die. But now, after what just happened, I don't want to. I want to live. I want to go home to Allison. I want to go home to Art.

* * *

**A/N: What a dramatic (is that the right word?) chapter. First Glitz saves Serenity and Maple and then Serenity is attacked. Maple has her second kill. What will happen next?!**

**I have a lot of good idea's for the rest of this story so please stay around for more chapters. I really appreciate reviews, so if you are liking what you read, or hating what you read then just send a quick review over. Until next time!**


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